( L - R ) Mugabe, Tsvangirai

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP):

Intruders ransacked offices of the main opposition party and police detained foreign journalists yesterday in an ominous sign that President Robert Mugabe might turn to intimidation and violence in trying to stave off an electoral threat to his 28-year rule.

Earlier, Mugabe apparently launched his campaign for an expected run-off presidential ballot even before the official results of last Saturday's election were announced, with state media portraying the opposition as divided and controlled by former colonial ruler Britain.

Five days after the vote, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission still had not released results on presidential election despite increasing international pressure, including from former United Nations chief Kofi Annan, who recently mediated an end to Kenya's post-election violence.

The opposition Movement for Democratic Change already asserted its leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, won the presidency outright, but said it was prepared to compete in any run-off.

The police raids came a day after official results showed Mugabe's party had lost control of parliament's 210-member lower house. The election commission was slow on the 60 elected seats in the Senate, releasing the first returns late yesterday that gave five seats each to the opposition and ruling party.

Ransacked

MDC Secretary-General Tendai Biti said hotel rooms used as offices by the opposition at a Harare hotel were ransacked by intruders he believed were either police or agents of the feared Central Intelligence Organization.

"Mugabe has started a crackdown," Biti told The Associated Press. "It is quite clear he has unleashed a war.''

Biti said the raid at the Meikles Hotel targeted "certain people ... including myself''. He said Tsvangirai was "safe'' but had cancelled plans for a news conference. Tsvangirai was arrested and severely beaten by police a year ago after a banned opposition rally.